The Tale of Three Brothers
by Engineer of Epicness
Summary: A darker version of the original Tale of Three Brothers. Read, enjoy and review.


**The Tale of the Three Brothers**

Once upon a time, in the days of Arthur and Merlin, Guinevere and Morgana, three brothers in all but blood strode the shadows of war. They were of the blessed, magical. Their powers transcended the barriers of reality, and if they should face him together, they could overwhelm Merlin himself.

The first, Antioch, was a battle mage. With sword and stave in hand, many a warrior fell to his wrath. Death danced in his footsteps.

The second, Cadmus, a soothsayer, heard the whispers of those who had fallen, and could call them to his side. His words sang of Death.

The last, Ignotis, believed in stealth over else. His visage was invisible to all, until their last breath was drawn. Death was his shadow.

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Together they fought many a battle, across what is now Europe and Asia. Where they walked, the blood of men flowed as rivers. Their path was one of treachery, and violence. They claimed the name, Peverell, in honour of their mentor, William Peverell, a soldier who fell to his own untamed Necromantic powers.

Between their power, they evaded many a fatal scenario, gaining the attention of the Grim Reaper, itself. It appeared before them, wings flared, as a being of indeterminable gender, its left side of flesh, and beautiful, its right, bleached bone. It spoke to them with the voices of all who reside in his realm.

 _"You, who have delved into My realm, now seek to avoid it. Your command over My Magic is commendable..._

 _I have an offer, of sorts, for you, Brothers Peverell. I will gift you each with a facet of My power, and the chance to be free of my realm for all days…"_

Antioch, a man confident in his own skills, was filled with pride at the offer, and was willing to take it.

Cadmus, considered the prestige that Death offered, felt no qualms at accepting the offer.

Ignotis, however was weary. What would The Aspect of Death want in return for these gifts? He spoke to the Being.

"Lord Death, before we accept your generous boon, what would you ask of us in return for your favour?"

The Aspect chuckled at the question, _"Ignotis, of the Peverell Brothers, you are bold! And yet, you prove your worth with your question! I ask only your loyalty to Me, and Mine. And, should you fall, you will be Mine for all eternity. Now, ask, Brothers Peverell, for My Power, and go forth as my vassals!"_

Antioch stepped forward, "Lord Death, I ask for a wand of your influence. A wand to surpass all others, one that will ensure my victory in all battles to come."

Cadmus asked, "My Liege, I ask for a window into your realm. A way to call the spirits, without a blood sacrifice."

Ignotis, humbly requested, "Death, I ask for a curtain, that will shield me from the sight of all but those whom I wish to see me."

" _Very well. For you, Proud Antioch, I gift you with the power I wield in my hands."_

Death raised his hands in front of himself, and grasped the skeletal ring finger of his right with his flesh left hand. With a piercing -crack- the finger broke off at the knuckle joint. In his hand, the bones merged into a single piece. Death drifted over to an Elder tree, and snapped a branch off of it, enrobing the bone in the wood. The finished product was a 12inch wand, bleached white, with a shape reminiscent of the bones that formed its core. Death handed the Wand over to Antioch, and said,

" _Here is your Wand, My Champion. With it, you will have magicks beyond any other mage. No man shall match you in the mystic arts._

" _Cadmus, I give you the sight of Death."_

Death placed his left hand over his empty right eye socket. It pulled a stone, roughly 5cm in diameter. It began to melt, turning black, and folding into itself. The stone formed 8 faces, each a perfect triangle. Turning over once in Death's hand, the stone darkened such that it appeared to formed of void. Death cast the stone to Cadmus, who caught it. The hand that caught it, and its forearm, began to age and turn white, while the Stone gained the slightest hint of red along its edge.

" _My Prophet, this Stone will act as a lens into my realm. It is bound to your blood, and your blood alone. With it, you shall call any spirit that resides with me, and ask of it any questions._

" _Ignotis, your cloak."_

For the final gift, Death grasped the wisps of skin and feathers that clung to his skeletal right wing, and bound them to Ignotis' cloak. The cloak shimmered, as if caught in a breeze from within. It fitted itself to Ignotis' form better than any tailored suit. Unseen to his brothers, his form took on true invisibility under the Cloak.

" _Ignotis, My Shadow, your Cloak will now render you invisible to all but those who wield my artefacts, or those who are of your blood._

" _Now, My Champion, Prophet, and Shadow, bring this War to an end. Uncontrolled Death is not my way, but all men must fall at their own time. Go forth, and balance my power!"_

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With their new weapons, the Brothers of Peverell ventured once more unto the lands of Avalon, and Camelot. Upon returning to their mother land, they found that the round table was broken. King Arthur had been killed in battle with one of his most loyal Knights, Sir Lancelot. Avalon had dissolved into anarchy following Arthur's fall, with every Lord and Knight laying claim to the throne.

During one of the worst battles, Antioch strode onto the plains. Wielding the Elder Wand, he felled many a warrior, both mundane, and magical. Before the sun set upon the blood-soaked fields, only Antioch, Champion of Death, stood. Looking across the carnage caused by his hand, he saw many of his one-time comrades among the corpses.

His heart heavy with guilt, he turned to the old friend of warriors across time, alcohol. In a drunken stupor, he boasted of the Wand that slayed over a thousand men in one battle. He dragged himself to one of the rooms offered by the barkeep, and passed out. One of the patrons, having heard the claims of the Wand's power, snuck into Antioch's room, intent on claiming the Wand as his own. He slit the Peverell's throat with a simple steel knife. As Antioch drowned in his own blood, the thief made off with Death's wand. As promised, Death came to Antioch as he drew his last breath.

" _And so, the first brother is Mine."_

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Cadmus, less violent than either of his comrades, set up shop as a fortune teller, summoning the ghosts of the past to rest the angry hearts of those left behind. Among those who came to him for hope, where the loved ones of the warriors Antioch slew. Cadmus learnt of his brother's power, and his fall. Upon calling his brother, he was greeted with silence, for Death had claimed Antioch's soul, and held it in purgatory.

At the advice of Ignotis, Cadmus did not contest Death, and let it be. He threw himself into his work, aiding many people in reconciling with their dead families.

After many months, a woman came to him. She sought training in his arts, and companionship. As many a man has, he fell in love with the woman. She went by the name 'Dranwen'. Together they travelled Avalon, settling disputes as best they could, with the aid if the dead.

During their travels, they came across a man who had killed another, to gain his property. At widow's request, they called upon the dead man's spirit, and found the truth. Believing that they had finished the job, they went on their way. The first man, disgruntled at losing his (in his own opinion) rightful gains, attacked them, killing Dranwen.

Consumed by loss, Cadmus delved into his ancient library of the arcane, and cast a resurrection spell binding his blood and the Resurrection Stone to his chant. He called her Spirit from the beyond, and anchored her to this plane, until he should die himself. At first, they both rejoiced at being reunited. But it would not last.

The Dead belong to the nether and are not for the living to keep. Dranwen could not eat the food of the living, nor could she partake in the joys of the body. Her form began to pale, and lessen. Soon it became painful for her to exist on this plain, and it began to wear on Cadmus' mind to see Dranwen in such a state. In his madness, he hung himself, releasing her from the mortal plain once more. But, alas, he would not see her again.

" _Now, I claim the second."_

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Ignotis fared slightly better than his brothers. Upon separating from his Brothers, he went to an old acquaintance- Morgana Le Faë, the most powerful witch in Avalon. Despite her dislike for her half-brother and his pet sorcerer, she did indeed care about her fellow mages. She now ruled an enchanted Isle, floating in the southmost part of the channel. Her agents in Avalon had kept her updated on the events following Arthur's death. With her intel, Ignotis began assassinating key figures who sought to prolong the anarchy.

With time, his efforts, along with Cadmus' ensured that peace would return to Avalon. Bidding farewell to the Witch Queen, Ignotis delved into the slums of society, losing himself in the people. Little did he know, that he left a new citizen on Morgana's Isle.

He would wonder the shadows of Avalon for 11 years, before returning to Morgana. Throughout his travels, he heard whispers already, of the Deathstick, the most powerful foci to exist, yet no man held it and lived for more than a year after. He heard tales of me driven mad by a ring, with an obsidian stone, that caused vengeful spirits to harass the wearer. And legends of a living shadow, that brought death to those who abuse other for no reason other than selfish gain.

The Deathly Hallows, already, were legendary in Avalon, and would remain as the ultimate goal of many an adventurer for centuries to come.

Ignotis returned to Morgana in the 11th year of his travels with grave news. He was fading.

The power of Death's Cloak, and his own Necromantic Powers devoured his life force, and soon he would join his brothers.

And so, Morgana revealed their son, Kydur, and in turn, Ignotis spent his last days teaching his son. Finally, 13 years to the day after receiving the Cloak, Ignotis handed it over to Kydur.

"Keep it safe, my son. This Cloak belongs to our family alone, and no other bloodline should wield it. Pass it to your own son, and have him pass it to his own. It will keep our blood safe, and shield you from Death, until you are ready."

"But how can one be ready for Death, father?"

"You will know in time, my son. All men must die, but how we die… Now to choose that, that is true freedom."

"Yes father," the boy nodded solemnly.

"Come, now, boy. Don't take life so seriously. Live a little, get people mad at you, then run like hell. Make your life worth something, before it's too late," he clasped his scion's hand with the last of his strength, "Go on, now. My time has come."

Ignotis, last of the Brothers Peverell, turned to face the being he last saw 13 years ago.

" _Ignotis, it has been many years."_

"Yes, and long year they have been. How are Antioch and Cadmus?"

" _You know that you cannot know that, Ignotis. It was part of the deal."_

"Of course, Death. Now I am bound to you for all time now, yes?"

" _Yes"_

"Well then, let us be off, Eternity awaits!"

With that the Last Brother left this plain for the next great adventure.

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" _Since I claimed the Brothers Peverell, My Hallows have fallen through the webs of time. My Wand has led a bloody path, going from hand to hand, warrior to warrior, and leading to the passing of every man or woman who wield it, bar none._

 _My Stone is lost and found, driving madness into the minds of all who wear it. The House of Gaunt now holds onto it, but not for long I fear._

 _The line of Ignotis has indeed kept my Cloak safe for many a year. And even better, each to wear it has greeted me as their forefather did._

 _One day, someone will unite my Hallows, and I shall return to the mortal plain to confront them._

 _If he is like Antioch, and full of arrogance, I will smite him where he stands. It he should be of Cadmus nature, and be greedy, I will give him the riches he deserves, and no contact with others for all time._

 _But, if he should be of Ignotis ilk, well then, I will have found my replacement. Let the humans hunt for them. But only one being can ever be the Master of Death, and that is Death itself."_

 **And that is my version of the Tale of the Three Brothers, adapted from the original, as told in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.**

 **This actually ties into an idea I have for a selection off one shots set during the first war with Voldemort. If I post it or not will depend on how I feel about what I have written at the time.**

 **Notes:**

 **Avalon is what I am calling Magical Britton. I know that in the original Arthurian Legends, Morgana Le Faë rules Avalon. That will be cleared up if I ever get around to posting the above mentioned oneshots.**

 **Death appears basically half and half: It's left side is flesh, and appears most attractive to the viewer, while his right side is bone, much like the classical representation of the Grim Reaper.**

 **William Peverell was apparently a commander who fought in the Battle of Haisting, 1066 AD.**

 **Dranwen, Cadmus' beloved, means beautiful Raven. I thought it fitting for the context of the story.**

 **Ignotis and Morgana Le Faë having a kid was a random idea as I was writing this. No purpose at all, except that I felt like it.**

 **Kydur has no significance at all either. It's just a random Arthurian name that I liked.**

 **Read and Review,**

 **Engineer of Epicness**


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